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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. E. MILTIMORE & A. J. WOLFE.

WHEEL.

No. 280,063. Patented June 26, 1883.

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(No Model.) I I I 6 Sheets$heet 3. A. B. MILTIMORE & A. J. WOLFE.

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No. 280,063. Patented June 26, 1883.

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WHEEL.

Patented June 26, 1883...

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO E. MILTIMORE, OF THEITNITED STATES ARMY, AND ARTHUR J.

VVOLFF, OFINEW YORK, N, Y.

, WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,063, dated June 26,1883. Application filed November 7, 1682. No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALoNZo E. MILTI- MORE, of the United States Army,and AR- THUR J. XVOLFF, of New York city, in" the county of NewYork andState of New York,

have'invented certain new and useful Im- 'provements in. Wheels; and wedo hereby declare the:following to be a full, clear, and ex? actdescriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled intheart. to which, it appertains to make and use the san1e,-r efere1j1cebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

' Our invention relates to an improvement in wheels, and moreparticularly to that class thereof which are provided with sectionalnaves embodying adjustable devices arranged to enlarge or contract thecircles in which the inner and the outer ends of the spokes are located,the object of the invention beingto produce a wheel adapted to bereadily dismantled and to be adjusted to compensate for wear and for thechanges resulting from the influences of the weather.

A further object of our invention is to proively, through the outer end,the center, and

the inner end thereof. Fig. 6 is a view in 1on gitudinalsection ofanother form of nave embodying our invention. Fig. 7 is a plan viewthereof. Fig. Sis a View showing the manner of beveling and concavingthe inner ends of the spokes for this form of nave. Fig. 9 is a view inlongitudinal section of still another form of nave embodying ourinvention. Fig. 10 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 11 is a view incross-section, showing the mode of group- Figs. 3, j

ing the sections of the nave around the wedge which operates them andFig. 12 is a view in section, showing the form of felly and flanged tirewhich we prefer to employ in wheels provided with our improved naves.

our improved wheel is based consists in pro viding the nave with devicesadapted to .be adjusted to enlarge or contract the circlesin. whichtheinner and outer ends of the spokes are located.

The principle of construction upon which In Fig. 1 of the drawings,which represents I one construction embodying the principle abovestated, A is an axle-box, the same be ing cylindrical in general contourand traversed by a tapering aperture, 13, conforming to the shape of thespindle of the axle. The inner end of said box is provided with aflange, 0, against which the shoulder D of the adjusting-sleeve E abuts,the projecting inner end of the said sleeve constituting the innersandbox. The outer end of the axle-box is screwthreaded, as shown at F,for the attachment of the outer sand-box, G. Screw-threads H, encirclingthe central portion of the outer face of the said adjusting-sleeve, areadapted to interlock with suitable screw-threads, I, formed on theinnerface of the annular wedge J, which is located in a chamber, K, formed byappropriately recessing the sections L and M of the nave. The outer faceof the said wedgeis divided into a number of compartments, respectivelydesigned to receive the beveled i11- ner ends of the spokes by a seriesof 1ongitudinal grooves, N, the same being isolated from each other bywalls 0, and increasing in width of the wedge, the deeper portions ofthe said grooves being adjacent to the inner portion of the nave. Theabutting inner faces of the nave-sections L and M, which are clamped together by bolts 1 are encircled by a series of radially-disposedrecesses, R, which register with each other and form the mortises orsockets which receive the inner ends of the spokes Q, the outer ends ofwhich terminate in a felly, S, encircled by a flanged tire, T, as shownin Fig. 12 of the drawings. The said felly may or may not be sectional,and it may or may not be provided with devices to compenand depth fromthe outer toward the inner end sate for expansions and contractionsoccurring in it. The outer end of section L of the nave is interlockedwith the adjusting-sleeve C, and thereby secured against displacement,while the outer end of the section M is arranged to abut against thesand-box G, which fulfills in this connection the twofold function ofholding the section in place and of imparting rigidity to the nave byforcing the section against the opposite nave-section and spokes. Theenlargement of the circles in which the inner and outer ends of thespokes are located is effected by turning the adjusting-sleeve in suchmanner as to cause the wedge to move toward the inner end of the chamberK, the spokes being lifted by the inclined grooves of the wedge. On theother hand,when it is desired to contract the circles aforesaid, theadjusting-sleeve is properly turned to cause the wedge to move towardthe outer end of the said chamber K, thus permitting the spokes to falltoward the center of the nave. In effecting the above adjustments thesleeve E is turned by means of a wrench or spanner, whi ch is applied toits projecting inner end.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings represent another form of naveembodying our invention, showing an arrangement for dodging the spokes,which we consider an important feature in naves of this character. Theaxle-box, adj usting-sleeve, and sand-boxes shown in these figures ofthe drawings are the same in construction as those already described,and need not be further referred to. The inner nave-section, U, and theouter section, V, are appropriately cut away to form the chamber W, inwhich the annular wedge X is located, the same being conical in generalcontour, and having a smooth outer face. The said wedge is laterallyreciprocated in the chamber W to raise or lower the spokes Y, the endsof which are beveled and concaved by means of the adjustingsleeve, whichis operated by a wrench or spanner applied to the projecting inner edgeof the sleeve. The sections U and V, which are secured together by boltsZ, are provided with a series of recesses, A, respectively adapted toreceive a spoke and isolated from each other by spaces equal to theirown width, the sections being relatively arranged so that the recessesof one section will be opposed to the spaces between the recesses of theother section.

Figs. 9, l0, and 11 are views of still another form of nave embodyingour invention. The axle-box and adjusting-sleeve of this nave aresubstantially the same as those shown in the other figures of thedrawings, being different from them only in that-the outer end of thebox is provided with a screw-threaded shoulder, B, to receive the outersandbox, C.

D is a conical wedge, the same being provided on its inner face withscrew-threads i11- terlocking with the screw-threaded outer face. of theadj Listing-sleeve. The nave is composed of longitudinal sections E,which are grouped around the wedge D, by which they are separated toenlarge the circle in which the inner and outer ends of the spokes arelocated or allowed to fall together to contract the said circles. Thesaid sections E are retained in place and the limit of their separationby the wedge defined by flanges F, formed on the inner faces of thesand-boxes, the said flanges also serving to support the casing G, whichincloses the nave, and prevents dust and dirt from entering theopeningsbetween the nave sections when they are separated. The casing G isarranged to form an annular chamber, H, between its inner face and theouter faces of the nave-sections, to permit the latter to be operated bythe wedge.

The outer ends of the spokes of the modified constructions arepreferably arranged to terminate in fellies inclosed by a flanged tire.

It is apparent that the leading features of our invention aresusceptible of considerable variation, and that they may be embodied innaves differing in construction and applicable to different types ofwheels. We would therefore have it understood that we do not limitourselves to the arrangement and construction of parts herein shown; butwe hold ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations asfairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto. secure by. Let ters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with an axle-box, and

a sleeve encircling the axle-box and extending outwardly to form asand-box on the inner end of the axle-box, said sleeve beingscrew-threaded on its outer surface, of an annular wedge encircling thesleeve and screwthreaded on its inner surface, so as to be adjusted byturning the sleeve, and spokes resting on the outer surface of theannular wedge, substantially as set-forth.

2. The combination, with an axle-box, a sleeve encircling the axle-box,said sleeve being screw-threaded on its outer surface, and a naveprovided with a recess, of an annular wedge screw-threaded to fit thesleeve and located within the recess formed in the nave, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination, with an axlebox and a sleeve encircling theaxle-box, and constructed to extend beyond the axle-box andscrewthreaded on its outer surface, of an annular screwthreaded wedgearranged to engage with the sleeve and to be operated thereby, andspokes resting 011 the outer surface of the annular wedge, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The combination, with a nave having a recess formed in its interiorportion, an axle box, and a sleeve encircling the axlebox, said sleevebeing screw-threaded 011 its outer sun face, of an annular wedgeconstructed to err-- tend outside of the axle-box and nave, said annularwedge being screw-threaded on'its inner surface and adapted to engagewith the sleeve and be reciprocated thereby, and also provided withrecesses for the inner ends of Intestimony that we claim the foregoingwe the wheel-spokes, substantially as set forth. have hereunto set ourhands this 11th day of 5. The combination, with an axle-box pro-October, 1882. vided with a shoulder on its inner end, and a 1 5screw-threaded sleeve encircling the axle-box, ALONZO E. MILTIMORE.

and provided with a shoulder fitting against ARTHUR J. VVOLFF. theaxle-box shoulder and for retaining one end of the nave againstdisplacement, of an. Witnesses: annular wedge screw-threaded on itsinner sur- CARL BOOK, :0 face, and adapted to be adjusted by turning A.GUSTAIN.

the sleeve, substantially as set forth.

